Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Freddie Spencer ran into yet more trouble at Suzuka, with another heavy crash during Saturday morning's "untimed" session. Spencer was testing the Ohlins "semi-active" computer-eontrolled rear suspension when he lost control in the fourth-gear bend after the circuit's slow hairpin corner. The bike flicked him off heavily, and he was again knocked out for a time as he lay by the trackside. He regained consciousness, but suffered injuries to both hands. That to his right was serious, and at first doctors feared he might have to have a finger amputated. But an immediate operation by GP medico Dr. Claudio Costa at a nearby hospital seemed to have saved the finger. Spencer is expected to be out of action for at least four weeks, and was not expected back before the German GP on June 13. This means he will miss at least three more races. Freddie Spencer's enforced retirement from the Japanese GP prompted an extraordinary rule-bending exercise that allowed Japanese rider Toshihiko Honma to take Spencer's place. Although IRTA have in the past advised their members that the rules state that once a rider has started practice, nobody else may ride his bike, they changed their minds in Japan under considerable pressure from the Yamaha factory and from Team Yamaha France. "We were persuaded to apply to the race director for his opinion," said general secretary Mike Trimby. "The event management committee decided that the crucial phrase in the rule book was that teams were obliged to try and replace an injured rider 'as soon as possible', and to apply to the FIM stewards with the recommendation that Honrna be accepted as a replacement. Even though there was only one practice session left, Honma is a factory Yamaha rider with good knowledge of Suzuka. In fact he won an All-Japan championship race there very recently. "The FlM agreed, and he was allowed to start." AUhough most observers were pleased to see a measure of flexibility in rules that have previously been rigidly applied, this put IRTA in an embarrassing position after their contrary advice last year. "Of course we now regret this advice," said Trimby. But IRTA president Michel Metraux hailed the move as the first in what could be a new era of co-<>peration between former uneasy partners IRT A, Bernie Ecclestone's TWP, and the dispossessed FIM. He recalled the fight in Japan a year ago over the Japanese insistence on extra wild card riders, which put the FIM in direct opposition to IRTA. "If we had made the same approach a year ago, I am sure it would have been refused," said Metraux. Then an extraordinary race-morning revelation threw doubt on the whole affair, with FIM officials asserting that the stewards had not been consulted, and that IRTA and race management had simply taken a unilateral decision. Another crash at Suzuka caused fresh criticism of Japanese trackside marshals. Malaysian 250cc GP winner Nobuatsu Aoki fell on the exit from the ultra-slow chicane, in a typical highsider on Saturday morning. He ended up motionless but close to the barriers and well off the track, but his bike was in the middle of the circuit. The marshals were criticized for apparently trying to remove Aoki's helmet before medical attention had determined this was safe, and because they made no attempt to remove the bike, which was cl~arly in a very dangerous position. Instead, the untimed practice session was stopped for 10 minutes. Corrections are required to a news item from the Malaysian GP concerning an incident arising out of fuel testing which resulted in penalties to the Erv Kanemoto team. In the report, it was stated that Jack Findlay is IRTA's technical director, and that IRTA had imposed a 3000 Swiss Franc fine on Team Kanemoto. In fact, Findlay is employed by the FIM, and the fine was imposed by the race director, not IRTA. Further news is that the team has appealed the fine and the suspension of mechanic George Vukmanovich, who had his pass removed for an 18-day period. The appeal wi!.! be heard at the Spanish GP in two weeks, and as a result Vukrnanovich was present at the Japanese GP, although he had already missed race day in Malaysia. Kenny Roberts is to make a racing return at the Spanish GP. But King Kenny will not be joining Freddie Spencer on the road racing comeback trail. He has been persuaded to take part in the aforementioned short track race at the Chapin Olympic Stadium at Jerez, riding with old rivals Jay Springsteen and Steve Morehead. Roberts will not take part in the actual racing, but his son Kenny Roberts Jr. is scheduled to contest the race, with the American dirt trackers going up against 30 Spanish dirt track specialists. The race will be held on a 500 meter oval on the Saturday night (May 1) before the Spanish Grand Prix. The idea for the event grew out of a winter visit by Roberts to Jerez where he mentioned to Jerez Mayor Pedro Pacheco that the main reason that American and Australian riders win in 500cc GP racing is that they learn to slide big bikes on dirt ovals. The Spanish Professional Soccer League and the Spanish Athletics Federacion opposed the running of the dirt track at the Chapin Municipal Stadium, but event director Dennis Noyes calmed fears about damage to the facility by contracting Stadium Competitions to oversee the building and tear-down of the race track. American Jerry Stansbury, the owner and director of Stadium Competitions, will personally direct all the work. The principal concern is that any damage to the running track might cause the cancelation of an international athletic competition scheduled for May 7th. When Athletic Federation officials learned that Stansbury had built AMA supercross and Mickey Thompson Off-Road Grand Prix courses that cover the running track at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as well as courses at other stadiums, objections to the dirt track event were withdrawn. Two Brothers Racing has joined Team Hammer and Bridgestone Tires in dropping out of American Road Racing Teams (AMRT), an organization made up of member teams and aftermarket companies competing in the AMA National Championship Road Race Series, according to team owner Craig Erion. "I could see absolutely no benefit whatsoever for our team," Erion explained. "Try as I might, I could see nothing for us - now, yesterday or in the future. I think our future is working with the AMA." Dorna, the Spanish sports marketing giant that owns the TV and signage rights for the FIM Road Racing World Championship, announced at the Japanese GP that they have purchased "significant holdings" in Two Wheel Promotions, the Bernie Eccelstoneowned company which controls Grand Prix road racing along with the FIM, IRTA (the team's association) and Doma. Dorna CEO Richard Golding, a member of the three-man Permanant Bureau along with FIM President Jos Vaessen and Eccelstone, said in Suzuka that "Dorna's purchase of significant holding in TWP will serve to unify the championship and to accelerate the decision making process. Mr. Eccelstone remains president of TWP and now that we are partners we believe that we will benefit even more directly from his experience and knowhow." Jeff Stanton, the defending Camel Supercross Champion, was a no-show at the April 24, Indianapolis Supercross. A. week earlier at the Pontiac Supercross, Stanton cras~ and suffered a concussion. According to Team Honda's race team manager Dave Arnold, Stanton felt fine and wanted to ride in the Indianapolis race, but his doctor told him that he should wait another week before returning to action. Stanton will compete at the May 2 Southwick 250cc National MX in Massachusetts. Jeff Matiasevich, of Suzuki's MX team, said he will not compete at the Southwick 250cc National MX. The CaliIornian has been hampered by a nagging back injury all season long and he aggravated the injury when he landed short over a triple jump during the 250cc feature at the Indianapolis Supercross. "It (the back) just keeps going out," said Matiasevich. "I thought it was getting better until now. I have to give my back some time to rest, so I'm probably not going to ride at Southwick, which is a track that's hard on backs anyway." Mike LaRocco, the Team Kawasaki MX rider who has been sidelined with a broken wrist since February, made his return to racing in grand style at the Indianapolis Supercross. When the Indiana resident was introduced to the crowd during the opening ceremonies, he was driven out on to the stadium floor in a black, stretch limousine. LaRocco would later win his heat race and then finish ninth in the feature after crashing. Paul Tracy, who the weekend before won the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Indy car race in California, watched the Indianapolis Supercross. Tracy was in town practicing for the May 31 Indianapolis 500. Earlier in the day, Tracy drove more than 600 miles on the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway track. "We averaged about 225 mph, today," said Tracy. When asked what it would take to qualify for the 500, he said, "About 230 mph." As far as attending the supercross, he said, "I like all forms of racing. These guys are amazing at what they can do on a motorcyele - it's real exciting." Tim Ferry, who was carried off the track after crashing during a practice session at the Indianapolis Supercross, is okay. According to Mike Rossini of RRP Yamaha Racing, Ferry suffered a bruised hip and lacerations in the fall. He was released from the hospital later that night and made it back to the stadium in time to watch the main events. Ferry will compete at the Southwick 125cc National MX. , Dan Jannette was also carried off the track at the Indianapolis Supercross after he crashed over a triple jump in a 250cc heat race. Jannette, from Auburn Hills, Michigan, suffered a concussion and was later released from the hospital. Doug Henry, the Eastern Regionall25cc Supercross Series Champion, from Oxford, Connecticut, will compete for the first time in his career in the 250cc class at the May 15 Pasadena Supercross. "I've got a lot of practicing to do in the next three weeks," said the Team Honda rider aIter winning the 125cc feature at the Indianapolis Supercross. Henry won seven out of nine main events in the just concluded Eastern Regional 125cc Supercross Series. Los Angeles Trade-Technical ColIege will hold an open house on Saturday, May 1, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Pat Owens, who following last week's general election will be facing a runoff election in June for his L.A. Community College board of trustees seat, telIs Papa that registration for the open house will take place in the cafeteria in H Building and that free parking is available at the F Building roof lot. Acording to Owens, 10 auto and motorcycle repair students will be going to Sacramento for the annual Vocational & Industrial Clubs of America competition. On the political side, Owens finished second to the wife of the chairman of the board in the April 20 election. He said he and his wife bor· rowed thousands of dollars to get his name on two mailers, and he's been told it will take $50,000 to win the June runoff. Needless to say, the former Triumph factory race team mechanic is seeking help from the motorcycling community. For more information on the open house or Owens' campaign, call213/~1687. [van Mauger, the nine-timeWorld Champion speedway racer from New Zealand, paid Papa a visit last week. Mauger, who now lives in Australia, is looking into taking American dirt track racing Down Under. "I got the idea to have the 750cc dirt track bikes race on our three-eighths of a mile tracks in ~ustralia last year," Mauger said. "[ went to las.t year's San Jose Mile but one thing after another delayed my putting the plan together. I'm back in the States to attend the San Jose Mile and pay a visit to the Harley-Davidson folks in Milwaukee." In one of the most celebrated racing careers of alltime, Mauger was the World Speedway Champion six times and the World'Longtrack Champion three times. He was also a two-time World Pairs Speedway Champion and fourtime World Team Speedway Champion. The Nationa.l Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame of Sturgis, South Dakota, will hold its 4th Annual Hall of Fame Induction, a breakfast affair, on August 11 at the Phil-Town Inn in Sturgis. This year's inductees are William G. Davidson, Ernie Beckman, Mary Cutright and Ray Price. Tickets for the induction breakfast are $15 per person and may be purchased by calling the museum at 605/347-4875. Tickets are limited, so don't delay. ·The Michigan Grand Championship Dirt Track Series gets underway on · April 24 at Winston Motor Speedway in Rothbury with a short track race. The following day, April 25, Thunderbird Raceway in Muskegon will be the site of a IT. The new series will consist of 20 races - 10 half miles, five short tracks and five ITs. It's all being sponsored by the Michigan Dirt Track Supporters. Series champions in three divisions will be crowned, as will overall series champs in 14 classes. In addition to Winston Motor Speedway, Thunderbird Continued on page 4 3

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